Will it end the aircraft carrier era? Military observers: irreplaceable
The US media recently disclosed the "Ghost Shark" unmanned underwater vehicle being developed by Australia, and stated that this type of equipment may be "the future of naval defense."
The "Ghost Shark" unmanned underwater vehicle research and development project is the first project created by the Australian government since it promoted the transformation of the defense innovation system. This type of unmanned underwater vehicle is about 6 meters long, about 2.5 meters high and 2.5 meters wide, with a displacement of 30 to 40 tons. It uses diesel-electric power and all-electric propulsion, with a maximum speed of 6 knots.
According to military observer Cui Yiliang, the "Ghost Shark" unmanned underwater vehicle can carry different payloads and can perform tasks such as intelligence collection, surveillance, and reconnaissance. However, its payload space is small and its combat capabilities are limited.
Although the "Ghost Shark" unmanned underwater vehicle has a slow speed, its range may be very large, and its range of activities will be greatly expanded.
This type of unmanned underwater vehicle has certain multi-mission or multi-purpose functions, which is determined by its modular payload loading capacity.
Based on the published figures and photos, it can be roughly estimated that the payload space of the "Ghost Shark" is about 20 cubic meters, which to some extent limits its ability to carry reconnaissance, communication payloads, and even attack weapons.
As part of the Orcus agreement, Australia's Ghost Shark unmanned underwater vehicle may operate in conjunction with British and American ships.
Australia's layout and development of this type of equipment is based more on its technological development and operational needs. According to the "Ocus" agreement, the "Ghost Shark" unmanned submarine can cooperate with British and American ships, but the degree of coordination is very low and can only provide the latter with certain intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information support.
Can the "Ghost Shark" quickly develop combat effectiveness?
The "Ghost Shark" unmanned underwater vehicle is scheduled to be delivered at the end of next year. The manufacturer declined to disclose its parameters due to confidentiality reasons, but emphasized that the project took only two years from conception and design to construction and testing.
Cui Yiliang analyzed that even so, it is difficult for the "Ghost Shark" to form combat capabilities in a short period of time.
There is a gap between prototype boats and combat-capable models. Judging from the photos released so far, as an unmanned underwater vehicle, the "Ghost Shark" still lacks many parts.
I think this prototype boat only solves the problem of "have" and "have not". There is still a long way to go before it can truly have combat capability.
Data map: The U.S. Navy’s “Orca” super-large unmanned underwater vehicle
In recent years, unmanned underwater vehicles are gradually becoming a research and development hotspot for military equipment in various countries around the world. Some analysts say that the arrival of the era of unmanned underwater vehicles may mean the end of the era of aircraft carriers.
Cui Yiliang does not agree with this view. He said that unmanned underwater vehicles will serve as a "capability multiplier" for manned combat equipment in the future.
The arrival of the "unmanned systems era" in naval warfare does not mean that all wars must rely on unmanned equipment. Unmanned equipment still needs to be grouped and used in conjunction with manned equipment. Unmanned equipment may not even be used as the main force, but is used to enhance the combat capabilities of manned combat ships, submarines or aircraft.
I believe that judging from the current technological development, unmanned submarines are still unable to replace manned ships, including aircraft carriers.
